The Forest of the East
by Hero Boy
Summary: Torak and co. have finally made it to the other side of the mountains where they discover that a dark force is lurking about. When Torak and Renn find themselves the new target, they must choose whether to run or to risk their lives by fighting back...
1. Chapter 1

_Disclaimer:_ I do not own _The Chronicles of Ancient Darkness _or any of the characters or ideas. Also, as I am too lazy to do particularly intense research, this story may contain things that are not scientifically correct. Just bear with it, yes?

Anyways, this is my first fanfiction. I hope you enjoy!

* * *

**Chapter One – Over the Mountain**

_I am endless and enduring. I give life to all who dwell in me._

The words echoed in Torak's mind as he gazed down through the hazy mist at the never-ending forest far, far below him. The sight was almost breath-taking. His first glimpse of the Eastern Forest the winter before paled in comparison. Now, in the height of spring, with the sun rising steadily above the horizon, the green trees exuded an unearthly presence. For the first time in his life, Torak realized how utterly small his world had been. Just how far did the land stretch on? What kinds of people and animals lived in the Eastern Forest?

The sound of clattering rocks behind him tore through the silent stillness of the early morn, and Torak turned around, expecting to see either Wolf or Renn. But the being he spotted was not one he'd ever seen before––not so close, anyways. He'd seen groups of them wandering around further down the mountain, but this one stood nimbly on a jagged rock but three paces up and to the left. It looked like a tiny reindeer, but its horns were black and stood straight on the top of its head, curling backwards only at the very tip.

Very slowly, Torak drew out his bow and arrow, trying his best not to make any noise or sudden movements. The trek over the mountain had left their food supply depleted. It wasn't big enough to feed the entire pack, but it would suffice for he and Renn, and Wolf and Darkfur would have no trouble taking down one for themselves and Pebble.

As he drew his arrow back and took aim, he heard frantic shouting from further up the slope. The creature bolted suddenly, leaping off of the rock towards a small ledge above Torak. Ignoring the shouts, he moved and took aim once more, just as an arrow whizzed through the air two paces to his left. It hit the rocky ground and bounced off, leaving a small dent.

By then, the creature had made its escape, leaving Torak annoyed and hungry. He turned his gaze towards the two who had been shouting and found them racing down the slope in his general direction.

Swiftly, he put his bow and arrow away and swung himself up onto the ledge above him. Then began his ascent towards the cave where he and the others had set up camp the night before. Wolf appeared like a ghost at its mouth, his eyes trained on the advancing strangers. Torak strode to his side and placed a comforting hand on his pack-brother's head.

_Go inside_, he told him. Wolf let out a low whine, looked from him to the strangers, then turned and trotted back into the cave. Torak followed him with his eyes, and in the dim morning light he made out Renn's slumbering figure as well as those of Darkfur and Pebble, whose upright positions told Torak that they were just as alert as Wolf was.

Not wanting the strangers to get too close to the others, Torak started forward. He met them a few moments later on a relatively wide stretch of flat, solid ground. They were plainly members of the same clan; both had cropped, light brown hair and wore nothing but a pair of loose leggings and boots. Likewise, they both sported clan tattoos that looked suspiciously like the black markings on the face of the creature Torak had almost killed––a long, black bar stretching from either eye down to their jaw bones.

The shorter one, who had a more fierce expression, took one last step forward, his hands balled into tight fists. "What do you think you were doing?" he demanded. "How dare you try to harm our clan creature!"

The taller one moved his hand to touch his knife, and in response Torak began to reach for his own. At once, all three had whisked out their weapons and taken on defensive positions. But the two strangers looked somewhat nervous, and they crouched in a loose fashion, as if they weren't used to fighting.

"I didn't know it was your clan creature," said Torak slowly, glancing from boy to boy.

The shorter fellow stood up straighter, his chin inclined. "Ha! Don't try to fool us. The Chamois Clan is the largest of the Mountain Clans! There isn't a soul around who doesn't know of us." He pointed his knife in Torak's direction. "And everyone knows not to harm our clan creature."

"Yoan, look at him," murmured the second boy. "I've never seen those clan tattoos before. Maybe he's not from around here."

Yoan heeded to his clan-brother's suggestion and stared Torak up and down. Torak could feel the boy's piercing gaze zeroing in on the dots on his cheek, but it rested the longest on Torak's forehead, where Torak's former-Outcast tattoo poked out from behind his bangs. He resisted the urge to touch his forehead. Even now he felt self-conscious about it, despite the fact that Fin-Keddin had fixed it up to be something much better.

"What clan are you?" asked Yoan.

"I'm clanless," replied Torak bluntly. "I came from the other side of the mountain. I don't know anything about the clans here."

"Clanless?" echoed the taller boy in a whisper. Yoan narrowed his eyes even further, but he seemed to relax after a moment.

"Then I guess it's not your fault. But if I ever catch you aiming your bow at a Chamois _ever_ again..." he said threateningly.

"I won't," said Torak. This seemed to ease the tension almost entirely, so they all moved to sheathe their knives. "Where's your camp?"

Yoan's companion pointed behind him. "It's a long walk," he explained, "but you can't miss it. We're a friendly clan, really. If you visit, we'll take care of you."

Torak pondered this for a moment. Heading back to the Chamois camp would ensure a good meal for both he and Renn and the ravens, and most likely the wolves, too, if the Chamois didn't turn them away. But his heart longed for the forest. It felt like ages since he'd last walked through the trees. Plus, the thin mountain air was giving Renn headaches, and they could easily hunt for their daymeal once they'd reached the forest. On the other hand, what if there were more clan creatures that were against clan law to harm?

"Are you friendly to wolves?" asked Torak.

Both Yoan and his friend seemed to pale. "Wolves? Why? There aren't many wolves around here," said the former while the latter glanced around nervously.

Torak flashed a wolfish grin. "Just wondering. Stay here; I'll be right back."

He turned and loped back to the cave. Renn was still fast asleep, but Wolf was ecstatic to see his pack-brother. He jumped around Torak in excited circles until Torak laughed and asked him to calm down. The noise woke Renn, who turned over and then sat up, rubbing her eyes.

"Good morning," said Torak as he dropped to a crouch beside her. She stared at him groggily. "Do you remember those tiny deer-like animals we saw earlier? They're called _chamois_, and they're a clan creature. I tried to hunt one, but members of the clan stopped me." He paused. "I'm going to go with them to fetch some food and water."

"I'll go with you," Renn said, crawling out of her sleeping-sack.

Torak shook his head. "No, you stay here with the others. The Chamois don't like wolves." With a grin, he stood and began to shuffled through their things for their waterskins. "Is your head feeling better?"

Sighing, Renn snuggled back down into her sleeping-sack. If there was one good thing about her headaches, it was that they caused her to act far less stubborn. "No," she said grumpily.

"Then get some rest. I'll be back soon."

At the mouth of the cave, Torak paused to crouch down next to Wolf. _Stay with the pack_, he told him. _I go to hunt_.

And he set off into the morning.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter Two – Into the Forest**

It was midday when Torak returned, his food sack heavy with dried meat and a few other foods that he'd never seen before. Nelu (as Torak discovered the taller boy was called) had been right––the walk was long, but the clan was more than happy to share their bounty. Yoan had told the truth, too; the Chamois clan was huge. Furthermore, to Torak's discontent, they were yet another clan that remained stationary. They'd constructed their camp into the side of the mountain. In the short time Torak had visited with them, they'd taught him plenty about the mountain and the forest, for which he was very grateful.

But now he had to feed his pack. When he entered the cave, he found that Renn was now wide awake and plainly more than ready to continue on to the forest. She'd tied her auburn hair back to keep it off of the back of her neck, and she was in the process of cleaning up their campsite.

"It's about time you got back," she said without looking up from her work. "Darkfur and Pebble left a little while ago, but Rip and Rek finally came back."

_Darkfur and the cub went to hunt_, whined Wolf as his tail lashed back and forth, _but I stayed with the pack-sister._

Laughing, Torak set the food sack down. _Good job. Go on and join them now_, he said.

Eyes shining, Wolf licked Torak's cheek and then shot off to track down his mate and cub.

Renn joined Torak a moment later, blushing as her stomach released a low growl. They dug through the food sack together, extracting whatever they felt like eating, and once they were through they set to packing up. Once the two of them had donned their things, they strode out of the cave and began the descent down the slope of the mountain while Rip and Rek soared through the skies up above.

The night before had been long and hard, as the peak of the mountain was still capped with snow, but the moment they had set foot on the other side, the snow all disappeared, revealing a rugged, rocky, grey-brown landscape––almost the complete opposite of their side of the mountain. But they hadn't had much time to sight-see, for they had immediately set to procuring a suitable campsite. The moon was high in the sky by the time they found the cave, and it was only thanks to Wolf's keen eyes that they had.

But now, as they made their way down the mountainside, Torak and Renn were able to truly observe their surroundings. They saw herds of chamois bounding across the rocks, a couple of mountain hares nibbling on a small patch of grass, a gang of sparrowhawks chasing starlings... This side of the mountain seemed to be just as teeming with life as their own. It was warmer here, though, especially beneath the midday sun. When they paused in their descent for a quick break, Torak bade Renn to cut his hair in a fashion similar to the Chamois boy hairstyle. He couldn't quite remember the last time that his hair wasn't brushing against the back of his neck, and his bangs were too sparse to hide his forehead tattoo, but the new haircut kept his head cool. Renn told him that he looked good, too, and the way she stared at him made his cheeks burn.

The sun had nearly disappeared over the top of the mountain by the time they reached the part of the forest that began growing along the mountain, so they stopped here, too. As Renn downed a good bit of her waterskin, Torak threw his head back and howled for Wolf to come join them. The noise he made echoed off of the sides of the mountain and sent several birds into frantic flight. Rip and Rek ruffled their feathers but remained stationary on the tree branch upon which they were perched.

"I wish you'd make another grouse bone whistle," said Renn as she eyed Torak critically. "You make too much noise when you howl. Who knows what's lurking out there."

Torak's grey eyes shone as he turned to Renn, and a mischievous grin danced upon his lips. "Why are you so frightened?" he teased.

Renn's cheeks flamed. "I'm not frightened!" she said. "But we're in a whole new land now. I'm just think that it wouldn't hurt to be a little more... _discreet_."

Wolf's answering howl reached their ears as Torak chuckled. "Alright, I'll make a new one, but we'll have to catch a grouse first."

At this, Renn seemed to become appeased. Torak regarded her in silence while she, in turn, stared through the trees towards their destination. Though they had left the Raven Clan only three moons before, he still found himself amazed and elated that Renn had wanted to come with him. To leave Fin-Keddin, her only living relative, as well as the rest of the clan that she had lived with her whole life––to leave all of them behind, just to stick by Torak's side––

He came to the startling realization that she had been doing this since the very beginning––since the first moment that they had met each other. She'd accompanied him on his journey to defeat the Demon Bear, she'd followed him to the Seal Islands, she stuck by his side as he sought to reclaim Wolf from the Soul Eaters, she went after him when he was Outcast, she stayed with him as he tracked down Thiazzi, and when he journeyed to the Mountain of Ghosts...

Renn caught his eye suddenly, and Torak was quick to avert his gaze. Once again, heat crept into his cheeks, but luckily Wolf, Darkfur, and Pebble came crashing through the trees from the north at that very moment. There was blood on their muzzles, a sure indication that they had eaten well. It occurred to Torak that he ought to have warned them not to hunt the chamois, but there was no point now. Besides, even the Chamois Clan couldn't go against the cycle of nature, right?

Soon they were on their way again, and the trees steadily began to grow larger.

* * *

Even Renn couldn't hold back a smile as they entered the forest, though her grin wasn't nearly as broad as Torak's. The boy quickened his pace the closer they got to the boundary where the mountain ended and the real forest began. Once or twice Renn called to him to tell him to slow down––that they'd arrive soon, and that there was no need to hurry. She gave up eventually, however, as she knew full well how much Torak loved the forest. He never seemed quite right unless he was safe among the trees, even back home.

_Home_. The word stirred an unusual emotion deep within her heart. Could she really consider the Raven Camp her home now? She missed Fin-Keddin and her kinsmen terribly, and a part of her wished that she and Torak could return and stay with them. But another part of her felt strangely free. The moment she chose to leave the Ravens to accompany Torak, it had felt as if she'd snipped a string––the very string that tied her down. Perhaps the Wolf Clan was right about always being on the move. She couldn't remember having had a boring day since she'd left.

And yet the biggest part of all was the part that was tied to Torak. Renn would never leave him. _Never_. Days without him made life seem dreary and cold as if the sun had been plucked out of her sky. Yes, her home was with Torak now. Wherever he chose to go, she would follow. A wolf could not be part of two packs, right?

Right.

Her epiphany brought with it a sudden flood of excitement, and with a laugh she broke into a run, passing Torak in a matter of seconds. In a couple of heartbeats, Torak took off after her, returning her laugh with one of his own. They sped through the trees and soon met up with the wolves who were delighted to take part in the game. Tails wagging, they playfully cantered along with the two humans.

But soon they slowed to a stop beneath a large oak tree, panting and laughing. Torak and Renn slumped against its trunk and sunk down onto their bottoms, still gasping for breath.

"That was unlike you," said Torak after a moment. Eyes gleaming, he grinned at Renn, whose face was already so flushed from the running that her blush was nearly invisible amongst the red.

"Your excitement was contagious," stated Renn. It wasn't a _whole_ lie...

Torak threw back his head and laughed, but his glee was cut short by Wolf nipping playfully at his arm. Torak pulled himself into a crouching position and then lunged at the wolf, and soon they were rolling about, speaking in the wolf talk that Renn couldn't understand. Pebble joined in soon enough as well while his mother laid down on the ground beside Renn.

It was nice to see Torak so happy. He always seemed so distraught and tired, what with all of the responsibilities that had fallen upon his shoulders in the past. He'd been through so much, done so much, _seen_ so much... He deserved to be able to relax, and this forest seemed like just the place to do it. Renn herself felt more at ease than ever before as well. What was it, she wondered, that made the Eastern Forest seem so calm and inviting?

Renn inhaled the fresh, clean scent of soil and leaves, took in the sight of her pack-brothers playing, and thought of the peaceful days ahead. A small, warm smile came to her lips. This was surely the best home she'd ever had.

With her mind so clouded by thoughts of happiness, she completely failed to notice the little tingling at the back of her mind––the very feeling she experienced when in the presence of another mage.


	3. Chapter 3

Thanks to everyone who has reviewed! I really appreciate it, and it gets me more excited to continue writing! And constructive criticism is always welcome, too, especially if you notice a spelling mistake or something.

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**Chapter Three – Through the Trees**

Torak is walking through the forest. The Moon of Roaring Rivers is high and full overhead, visible even through the thick canopy of the trees. He is trying to find Renn, but every time he catches sight of her, she disappears. Torak wishes that he could move faster, but his legs will not obey him, and with each step his feet seem to grow heavier. Finally, as he reaches a clearing, he finds that he cannot move at all.

But he can see Renn now, and she isn't moving, either. She's standing before an alder tree, her black eyes wide in fright. From the trees surrounding the clearing strides a tall, bare-chested man. Brightly colored tattoos stretch across his torso and his face. He advances towards Renn, raising his spear, as she backs up against the tree.

Torak tries to move. He tries to cry out. But he is frozen, and his throat will not work. He watches as Renn's back comes in contact with the tree. He watches as the man thrusts the spear forward. He hears the muted cry of Renn. He hears the sound of breaking bone, followed by the sound of the spear's head plunging into the trunk.

Then the man yanks out the spear, and Renn falls forward. She hits the ground, limp as a corpse. Blood seeps out from her wounds, gathering in a pool around her. Her face is as white as a cloud.

Torak looks to the man, who stares back at him with an even expression.

The man grins.

With a loud gasp, Torak flung himself upright, his heart racing. For a moment, his vision was white as the blood rushed to his head, but soon he could see clearly again. He was still inside the shelter, and beside him the fire had gone out completely. It had only been a dream. Only a dream.

_Renn_.

Torak's head whipped to the side. On the other side of the fire-pit, Renn was lying on top of her sleeping sack with her back to him. He could see only the outline of her silhouette in the dim light of the shelter. His nightmare in mind, he scrambled around to where she lay, grabbing her shoulder and rolling her over.

She awoke in an instant; Torak could tell by the change of pace in her breathing. _Breath_. She was alive. She wasn't dead. It had only been a dream.

Torak pulled Renn into his arms and held her tightly against his chest. At first, she resisted and tried to squirm out of his grasp, but soon she relaxed. "What's wrong?" she asked, adjusting the lower half of her body so as to get more comfortable. "Your heart is pounding! What happened?"

Inhaling shakily, Torak released Renn and put his hands on either side of her face, drawing her close to his own. With his eyes adjusted and her pale face so close, he could see her better. She looked worried and somewhat embarrassed, and Torak took in every contour of her face with wide eyes.

"Torak," she said sternly, taking his rough, bony hands into her own.

Torak closed his eyes and gripped her fingers tightly. "I had a bad dream," he said. "A terrible dream."

He felt Renn's cool hand against his cheek. "Calm down. It's all over now. Tell me what happened."

"There was a man I've never seen before. He met you in a clearing by an alder tree. You backed up against its trunk, and then––" He paused and opened his eyes. Renn stared right back, stern-faced and beautiful as always. "––And then he took his spear and––"

His voice died away, but Renn understood anyways. She could tell what he was thinking almost as well as he could tell about her now. Her gaze hardened, and she drew her hand away.

"I'm sure it was nothing," she said, but she did not believe it, and neither did Torak. "You should go back to sleep. Wolf will warn us if anyone gets near."

Torak shook his head. "You can sleep. I'm not tired."

Renn was quiet for a moment, staring at him with all-too knowing eyes. "Then we'll be starting today very early," she said, turning away from Torak. She moved to the front of the shelter and peered out into the forest. "The sun should be coming up before long." When she turned back to face Torak, she was grinning. "Maybe we'll even find a grouse."

Torak flashed her a weak smile. While he appreciated her attempts at cheering him up, he doubted that he would get over his fright anytime soon. For him to have such a terrible dream out of _nowhere_ surely meant something. "Let's eat first, then," he muttered, grabbing his food sack.

* * *

Quite frankly, Renn was furious. She was just as suspicious of Torak's nightmare as he was, but rather than fearing for her own well-being, she worried more about Torak. Just yesterday he had been laughing and playing like a child, free of all worries. Now he walked with an uneasy tenseness, never straying too far from Renn as they wound their way through the trees. Part of her hoped that his dream was just a result of his fears, but the other part of her hoped that the dream had been sent by someone just so she could wreak her revenge upon him. Or her.

It just wasn't fair! Why couldn't they enjoy a nice, peaceful life? Why did bad things have to follow Torak wherever he went? What otherworldly beings had such grudge against him that they brought him so much misfortune? Well, one thing was for sure––as soon as they settled down to camp later that day, she'd be performing magecraft to ward off whatever bad spirits were following him.

That, or she'd track down whoever dared to mess with him.

So engrossed in her anger was she that she failed to notice Torak coming to a stop. When her forehead collided with his shoulder blade, she looked up and took a step backwards. Torak raised his arm and held it before her defensively while his other hand inched towards the knife hanging from his belt. Before him, the wolves were crouched low, their ears pressed as far forward as they could go.

"What is it?" Renn whispered, reaching for her bow. She peered in the direction that Torak was looking, her eyes straining to find whatever had caught his attention. The light was much stronger now, though it was not quite midday, but still she could not see anything. With a frown, she glanced upwards at Torak's face.

"There's someone out there," he murmured.

Renn looked again, and to her surprise she saw a dark head poke out from behind the trunk of a tree several paces away. Both she and Torak relaxed.

"It's just a child," said Renn as Torak removed his hand from the hilt of his knife. He nodded once, but the muscles in his jaw were still tense. He uttered something in wolf talk, then, and the wolves all relaxed as well. Pebble seemed to think that it meant he was free to go investigate, however, so he set off towards the girl at an easy pace. Yet as he got closer, the girl released a loud squeak and scrambled up into the branches of the tree behind which she stood. Pebble grinned in his wolfish way as he braced his front paws against the trunk, his tail wagging playfully.

"Hey, call him off!" exclaimed the girl, only to cry out again as Wolf and Darkfur appeared behind their cub. "Oh no! They're going to eat me! Please, take them away!!"

Torak and Renn exchanged glances as they followed after the wolves. Two short barks and the wolves retreated behind Torak, their eyes still trained on the stranger. The girl did not climb down from the tree, but she smiled politely at Torak and Renn regardless. She had long, dark hair and green-brown eyes. Her clan tattoos, two golden circles side-by-side above her brows, stood out clearly on her pale face.

Renn heard Torak breathe in sharply, and when she looked to his face she found his eyes narrowed into two tiny slits. He glanced at her before leaning down so his mouth was at her ear.

"Those clan tattoos," he whispered. "The man from my dream had them, too."


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter Four – Under the Surface**

Renn's eyes tightened. She stole a glance at the girl in the tree, who eyed them curiously, before looking back to Torak.

"Should we trust her?" she asked in a low whisper.

"I don't know. I know the man from my dream had those clan tattoos, but he had at least a dozen others, too," muttered Torak, drawing his face away from Renn.

"What are you two whispering about?" the girl inquired. She nimbly dropped down a branch and pulled her body into a crouching position, one hand placed on a nearby branch for balance. "And you, boy––where did you learn how to talk to wolves?"

"Do you know of a tall man with long, dark hair?" countered Torak as he inclined his chin. "He has lots of tattoos all over his face and upper-body."

The girl's thin brows furrowed together over her nose. "There are lots of tall men with dark hair in this forest, but I've never seen anyone with more tattoos than those of his own clan. Why do you want to know? Wait... do you mean to say he had lots of different clan tattoos?"

"It appeared so," said Torak, who did not want to answer the girl's first question.

Her expression became one of bewilderment. "But that's––that's just wrong! How could you have multiple clan tattoos?" she exclaimed. Then, squinting her eyes, she leaned forward slightly. "I've never seen either of your tattoos before. Where are you from?"

Torak held back a sigh. This girl was far too scatter-brained for his liking. "We come from the other side of the mountain. I'm Torak, and this is Renn."

The girl's face lit up with excitement. "Really? All the way from the western side of the mountain?! That's amazing! Just wait until my clan hears about this!" She swung down from the branch and landed softly on the ground. "My name is Eko, and I'm from the Pine Marten clan! I'll take you to see the rest of my clan; they'll be very excited to meet you!" She spun around, and her two braids flew out behind her. It seemed that she took for granted that Torak and Renn would follow, for she set off at a quick pace without so much as a backwards glance.

"She seems... friendly," ventured Renn. Torak exhaled through his nose and nodded once.

Perhaps Renn would be safer around other people, he thought. There was only one way to find out.

* * *

It did not take long for them to reach the Pine Marten camp. Torak soon learned that the Pine Martens moved camp once every season. He also learned that they were just as kindly as the Chamois. The moment he, Renn, and Eko stepped foot into their territory, they were met with friendly greetings and lots of curious looks. Eko immediately took them to their Clan Leader, who turned out to be a sturdy man of perhaps forty summers. He wore his hair in a single braid like the rest of the male clan members. When Torak and Renn entered his hut, he rose and bowed to them.

Torak and Renn both bowed hesitantly back, as neither was used to being treated so formally.

"Welcome to my clan," said the man with a solemn smile. "My name is Harta. Please, sit down. It's not every day we receive strangers. Eko, if you could kindly take your leave...? I believe your mother needs your help with caring for Adi. His fever has gotten worse."

At the mention of 'Adi,' Eko's cheeks flamed pink, but with the next sentence her face lost all color whatsoever. She said nothing as she fled from the hut, and her absence caused a curiously cold feeling to descend upon the remaining three.

"Forgive me if I seem forward," continued Harta, "but there are some things I must know before I allow you to stay with my people. What are your names?"

"My name is Torak. This is Renn," said Torak. Harta nodded and appraised them.

"Eko mentioned that you come from the other side of the mountain. Is this true?"

"Yes, we come from the forest on the western side of the mountain."

"When did you arrive on our side?"

"Two nights ago. We reached the forest yesterday evening," replied Renn.

Harta relaxed considerably. "Very good. Are you traveling with anyone else?"

"Yes––a family of three wolves," said Torak.

"And two ravens," added Renn. "But they have habit of disappearing."

The Clan Leader's bushy brows rose. "Those two species of animals are not... _commonly_ domesticated. How did you manage to...?" He trailed off.

Torak's eyes flashed with anger. "They are not our pets. They are members of our pack. Of our family."

At first, Harta looked surprised, but soon his face fell with regret. "Ah, I apologize. I did not mean to offend you. I don't mean to pry further, but like I said, I must make sure my people are safe. The wolves won't attack anyone, will they?"

"No, they won't, unless they are provoked," said Renn. "They don't usually stay close if we're among large groups of people. You don't need to worry about them. Is there anything else you want to know? I have some questions to ask you as well."

As always, Torak felt a small bit of amazement at Renn's resolve. Even in the face of a stranger, of a _Clan Leader_, who was easily three times her size, she still had the courage to take command of the situation, and she never seemed to lose sight of her goal. Torak couldn't help but smile.

Neither could Harta, apparently. He grinned broadly and let out a hearty laugh, slapping his knee. "I respect a woman with such tenacity! Alright, then, I've got one last question for you, and then you can take over the conversation. What business do you have in this forest?"

"We were curious to see what things were like on this side of the mountain," stated Renn in a matter-of-fact fashion. "We're travelers now. We don't really have a destination in mind."

To reinforce her statement, Torak nodded in agreement.

"Fair enough," said Harta, still grinning. "It's your turn now. What do you want to know?"

Torak opened his mouth to ask about the man, but Renn jabbed him in the ribs, and he promptly sealed his lips. "Why are you so cautious about us?" asked Renn.

Harta hesitated––a suspiciously uncharacteristic gesture––and then sighed. "I should have known you'd ask about that. But I suppose that it would be best for you to be aware of the situation that has befallen our forest. Of course, no one is exactly sure what's going on..." Closing his eyes, he raised his hand to stroke his braided beard. "What we _do_ know is that Clan Mages have been disappearing, seemingly without a trace. Our own Clan Mage went missing a few nights ago. No one knows what to do."

"Only the mages?" asked Torak. Surely this couldn't be the Soul Eater problem all over again...

"Yes. Of course, everyone suffers from the lack of mages. Sickness and injuries are difficult to cure now."

Torak's first instinct was to tell Harta that Renn would surely be able to help, but his second thought shot the notion into oblivion, and an icy feeling crept into his soul. Slowly, he turned to face Renn, whose expression was one of deep thought. So focused was she on trying to solve this mystery that she had forgotten the most critical factor of all.

_She_ was a mage.

Which meant that she was in danger.


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter Five – Among the Pine Martens**

"Why are you so sure that the mages who've disappeared were taken by force?" Renn asked a little while later in the day. They were seated on the fallen trunk of a tree, watching as Wolf and Darkfur cleaned their teeth by chewing on branches. Torak was absently teasing Pebble with a small branch from a pine tree while Renn fed Rip and Rek leftovers from the daymeal that the Pine Martens had offered them.

Torak sighed and set down the branch, and Pebble immediately pounced on it. "I'm not _completely_ sure, but it's just as much of a possibility as anything else," he replied.

"I know," said Renn as she dusted off the last of the crumbs onto the ground. Rip and Rek pecked at them eagerly. "But what could possibly be stronger than a clan mage? And what could possibly erase all traces of their disappearance?"

"A more powerful mage," said Torak. "Or a skilled hunter who knows how to cover up his tracks. Or a demon. It doesn't matter!" He stood up suddenly and stared down at Renn, his expression a mixture of anxiety and determination. "I still think we should leave. We can go back to our forest where it's safe!"

Setting her jaw, Renn rose to her feet as well. "So you want to leave these people to face this danger all by themselves?" she snapped. Anger flashed in her dark eyes.

"It's not our problem! We've done enough fighting in our lifetime!"

"Since when did you become so heartless?!" Renn exclaimed, clenching her hands into fists. "They need our help! We can't turn a blind eye!"

Torak fought to keep his emotions inside, but to no avail. "What if you get taken, too?!" he yelled. Rip and Rek shot off in a flurry of black feathers, and the wolves stopped what they were doing to watch. In the silence left by his words, they could hear the shouts and laughter of children in the far distance.

Slowly but surely, Renn's angry expression melted away. "I'm... not a clan mage," she said quietly. "So I shouldn't be in any danger. But if you're really that worried, then we'll go back. I just want to help out the people of this clan first. I know I can do something. They need a mage."

Ashamed by his outburst, Torak had looked away, but now he refocused his attention on Renn. "I wouldn't be so anxious if I hadn't had that dream," he admitted. "I think it must be a warning of some sort. Why else would it have come so out-of-the-blue?"

"I don't think it was. Those sorts of dreams aren't usually so violent or straightforward," said Renn. "But maybe. You can never be too sure."

Torak nodded solemnly. "How long do you need to tend to the Pine Martens?"

"Two, maybe three days. There are only a handful of sick people." Renn grinned, flashing her sharp teeth. "Don't worry, Torak. I'm sure everything will be fine."

* * *

At least, Renn was _pretty _sure everything would be fine. Even if none of the Clan Mages could figure out what all was going on, she certainly wasn't going to give up without a fight. Already, she was planning everything out in her head: as soon as Torak and the rest of the clan fell asleep, she'd sneak out into the forest and work her magic. She _was_––though the thought still disturbed her––Seshru's daughter, which meant she had inherited her mother's skill. And sure, she had denied her talent for so long, but now Renn relied on it. She would do whatever was in her power to protect Torak, and if that meant taking out the source of that nightmare, then so be it.

"Renn?"

The tiny voice brought Renn back to reality, and she looked up from what she was doing. Eko was staring at her with wide, worried eyes. Her thin fingers played at a loose thread on the hem of her jerkin. "Is Adi going to be alright?" she asked.

"Of course he will," said Renn with a small smile. "He'll probably feel well enough to go outside by tomorrow. Don't worry."

Eko lit up suddenly, and she leaned forward in earnest. "Really? That's great! He's been sick _for ever_, it feels like! I can't wait to show him the great climbing tree I found!"

And then, as she had done countless times before, she cast her loving gaze upon the thin, grey-faced boy who laid between them. Renn drew her hands away from his chest, and as she did so, Adi breathed in deeply. Once he exhaled, his expression calmed considerably, and for the first time since Renn had entered his shelter, he seemed to be peacefully asleep.

Eko released a sigh of relief. "He looks better already! You're wonderful, Renn! You should stay and become our mage!"

"You know I can't. Torak and I will be leaving soon. I'm sure you'll find a better mage soon," said Renn. Rather than agree, though, Eko nervously glanced down at her lap. Briefly, Renn stared at her in confusion, but soon realization hit her.

"The next mage will be you!" she said in amazement. "I didn't realize––"

"Oh, I'm no good!" whined Eko. "I've got the most talent out of everyone in the village, but even Budi said that my spark is really small, and he knows _everything_ because he was the last mage!"

A laugh escaped from Renn's lips. "It only takes one spark to light a fire. You should go to a mage from another clan and learn from him or her. I could teach you some things, too, the next time we visit."

Deep down, she knew that both Eko and Budi were right, however. Renn would not have even noticed that tiny, tiny tingling feeling in the back of her head if she hadn't known that Eko had the makings of a mage. That wouldn't stop her from supporting the girl, of course. Eko needed all of the encouragement she could get.

"Really? You promise?" asked Eko. She grinned as Renn nodded and immediately seemed just as chipper as ever. "Adi will be happy to hear that! I can't wait until he wakes up!"

"You like Adi a lot, don't you?" said Renn, a mischievous grin crossing her lips. Eko shot her a bewildered look and then flushed the color of beechnuts.

"Wh––I––Of course I do! We're––we're best friends!" she blurted out.

At the loud noise, Adi stirred, and his lids fluttered open. Seemingly instinctively, he looked to his left where Eko was seated. It took him a couple moments, but soon he was completely coherent. However, when he tried to sit up, Renn gently pressed his shoulders back down.

"Don't get up yet," she ordered. "You still need to rest."

"Alright, alright," he sighed, laying his head back down. "What were you yelling about, Eko? Don't you know you should be quiet when in the presence of a sick person?" His tone of voice and expression betrayed his words, though––quite simply, he looked happy to see his best friend.

Eko's blush faded to a rosy pink hue. "It was nothing, really," she giggled. "How are you feeling?"

"I'll let the two of you talk, then," interrupted Renn as she pushed herself to her feet. "Take care of him, alright, Eko?"

With a wink, Renn exited the shelter, taking her sack of herbs with her. It was easy to spot Torak, who looked completely out of place with his short hair and foreign clothes, but he was chatting with another boy his age, so Renn didn't head towards him. Instead, she made for the shelter that the Pine Martens had kindly erected for her and Torak. With Torak occupied, she would have plenty of time to gather the things she'd need for the night's activities.

After all, if Torak found out, he'd chop off his own arm before letting Renn go into the forest alone.

It did not take her long to get everything together. The hardest part was finding a good place to hide it all. Since the hut contained no crevices that would suffice, she headed into the forest and stuffed her bundle beneath a thick bush.

Out of the corner of her eye, she spotted movement. To her amusement, it turned out to be a grouse picking at a pile of leaves on the forest floor. Swiftly, she returned to the hut in order to grab her bow and arrows. Fortunately, the grouse was still there when she returned. Nocking a bow, she took careful aim...

... And felled it in one shot. Grinning triumphantly, she advanced towards the bird and removed the arrow from its breast. Then, picking it up, she headed back towards the Pine Marten camp.

If anything, making that new grouse bone whistle would give Torak something to do before he went to sleep.


	6. Chapter 6

I apologize for taking forever to get this chapter up! I promise the next chapter won't take so long.

And thanks again for your reviews!

* * *

**Chapter Six – Beneath the Moon**

The plan had worked perfectly. Renn now made her way to the bush below which she'd hidden the things she'd need for her magecraft. She moved silently and slowly, as she did not want to attract the attention of the few stray men who stood guard just outside of the camp's boundaries. Even so, the night felt fresh and calm. Renn could sense no danger or dark magics in the immediate area, and she doubted anything terrible would be happening that night.

This did not mean she'd be letting her guard down, of course. Tonight was the night that she hoped to uncover the secrets of the mages' disappearances.

Torak had been fast asleep when she'd left him, though he slept in such a cautious pose that Renn had thought him awake at first. He stirred a little when she'd accidentally dropped one of her boots, but aside from that, he was still as the night. Whittling the grouse bone whistle had proven to help him keep his mind off of things as well, just as Renn had intended. She only hoped that she'd done nothing suspicious to tip Torak off. He was a rather keen fellow, especially when it came to figuring her out.

Soon Renn located the bush and retrieved her things, and then she was off to find a good spot to perform her magic. She walked quite a long way, for she did not want the Pine Martens standing guard to see the fire she'd have to make. Reading the embers would probably be the best way to figure out what was going on. As the Raven Mage had said, _The embers never lie_.

Thinking of her old mentor reminded Renn of Dark, and she hoped that he and the rest of the Ravens were doing alright. _I'll see them soon_, she reminded herself, recalling her promise to Torak.

Eventually she came across a good spot to settle down and begin––a small space nestled between the trunks of three trees. Renn dropped her sack onto the ground and, after pulling her supplies out from within, set to building the fire. She had it bright and strong before long, but she took care to keep it small. With its warmth on her face, she untied the bundle of strips of alder bark she'd gathered earlier that evening.

She watched the flames dance for a moment before slipping the first piece of bark into the fire.

* * *

As a warm breeze drifted through the forest, Wolf caught the pack-sister's scent. It was only the Pack-Sister, though, and not Tall Tailless, but Wolf headed off to find her anyways. It did not take long. He found her sitting between a few trees in front of the Bright-Beast-that-Bites-Hot. She was feeding it some Tree-Hide and staring hard into the brightness. At first, she did not notice him standing there, so he moved closer. And closer. And closer. In the end, he nudged her cheek with his nose to get her attention.

This was not the thing to do, he discovered. The pack-sister hissed and flung herself away, casting a frightening gaze at Wolf. Wolf dropped his head low to the ground and crept backwards.

Then the pack-sister seemed to relax, and as she sat up again she extended her forepaw towards him. Wolf was used to the strangeness of the taillesses by now, so he advanced once more. He let her rub the scruff of his neck and the spot behind his ears for a short while before pulling away and laying down a short lope away. There were times when the pack-sister tried to act like a wolf, but she was not good at it. She acted like a very young cub––awkward and confused. Most of the time, though, she treated him like she treated the dogs in the Raven Pack, as she'd done just now.

Placing his nose between his forepaws, he watched as the pack-sister looked at the Bright-Beast-that-Bites-Hot. She fed the beast the last of the Tree-Hide, and she made a strange face. If there was one thing Wolf would never understand about taillesses, it was how their faces changed so much.

After a short while, she turned to him and began to speak in the Tailless Talk. She did this often, too. Wolf wasn't quite in the mood to listen to speech he could not understand, however, so he stood and looked in the direction of the Taillesses who Smell of Tree-Weasel and, amongst their strange scents, caught that of Tall Tailless.

Wolf whined. Why was Tall Tailless with them and not the pack-sister? He wished that Tall Tailless would come and play. And the pack-sister seemed unwell, too. If Tall Tailless were there, surely he would know what to do.

So Wolf threw his head back and howled.

* * *

For the second time that night, Renn's heart nearly stopped. Wolf's first appearance had frightened her enough, and now this?! "Wolf! Be quiet!" she hissed, pushing herself to her feet. "Shh!"

Wolf broke off suddenly and stared at her, his head tilted slightly to one side. "Yes, good Wolf!" Renn whispered. "Stay quiet!"

His confusion seemed to be doing a good job of keeping him from making anymore noise, so Renn sunk back down to the ground and prayed to the spirits that Wolf hadn't managed to wake Torak. Setting her jaw, she stared hard at the fire, recalling what all her magecraft had revealed to her.

Actually, it wasn't much, but at least it was _something_. The embers told Renn that the Clan Mages were being taken by force, as Torak had predicted. But whoever––or _whatever_––had taken them had obvious prowess in the art of magecraft. Renn felt the fiend repelling her magic the whole time, though he (it?) could not have been very close. The embers spat out other messages as well––some obvious, like _danger_, and others more cryptic, like _stealing strength _and _tree-above-ground_.

Without warning, a flow of magecraft surged into the area. The flames convulsed immediately, and a final message appeared in the embers above which they danced: _many clans, many tattoos_.

Then the message and the magic were gone.

Renn felt as if the wind had been knocked out of her. The zigzag tattoos on her wrist prickled painfully––a sure sign that whoever had sent the magecraft was a powerful mage. Why that person would have sent her this sign, she did not know. It was possible that the other mage was warning her of the threat, or perhaps it was the threat himself trying to throw her off-track.

_Many tattoos_. Perhaps... the man from Torak's dream?

Renn breathed in suddenly, and her vision cleared. She saw that the fire had died down considerably, and Wolf had gone. Slowly, she turned around and stared into the darkness. Nothing. Renn turned her eyes to the canopy above her instead and found the moon shining brightly through the branches. It would be full soon.

"_Renn_."

Heart thundering, Renn leapt to her feet and whirled around, nearly stepping into the fire in the process. Hissing, she shuffled to the side and snapped her gaze to the source of the voice. Torak stared back at her, his face as hard and unreadable as Fin-Keddin's. At his leg, Wolf stood, panting. Renn glared at him.

"What are you doing?" Torak asked. She could hear his undertones of frustration as he fought to keep from yelling at her again.

"Magecraft," said Renn. "I read the embers to see if I could figure out whatever has been plaguing this forest." She drew her hands together and rubbed her wrist with her thumb. "I only learned a bit, but if we ask around, I'm sure we could––"

"No. We're not doing anything," cut in Torak, his voice sharp as a knife. "Either you're staying in the Pine Marten camp for the next two days, or we're leaving at first light."

Renn found that she did not have the strength to argue, especially not with Torak acting so frightening. Even Wolf seemed to sense how angry he was. When her eyes darted to the creature at Torak's side, the boy muttered something in Wolf Speak, and Wolf sadly trotted off.

Now they were alone.

"You understand, don't you?" said Torak. As he spoke, his stone face crumbled into a much softer expression.

"Understand what?" asked Renn. The way he looked at her set her heart aflutter. This seemed to be happening increasingly often. It was not a bad feeling.

"Why I don't want to see you get hurt."

"Oh." Renn found herself unable to meet his eyes. "Yes. But I still don't think that I'm in any danger."

"What you had dreamt of me getting stabbed through the heart by a strange man with a dozen clan tattoos?"

He was right. She'd have dragged him back to the mountain without a second thought. She'd wanted to do just that so many times before.

"I would have done what you're trying to do," Renn admitted, meeting his gaze at last.

Torak relaxed considerably, and a small smile came to his lips. "I'll help you clean up, and then we'll head back to the camp."

Renn watched as he moved to her side and crouched down to kill the fire. She herself began to return her things to her bag. "And I'll tell you what the embers told me," she said.

A heavy silence filled the air as Torak smothered the fire. It was nothing but a pile of smoking ashes by the time he spoke up. "Alright," he sighed. Standing, he held out a hand for Renn to take. She did so, but even when she had been pulled to her feet, she did not let go. Instead, she gave Torak's hand a little squeeze and a small smile. Luckily, the darkness concealed the blush that had crept into her cheeks.

As it turned out, Torak did not want to let go, either. He smiled at her, and they walked back to camp hand-in-hand.


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter Seven – Within the Shadows**

For Torak, the next two days felt like a lifetime. From time to time, he'd trail after Renn like a shadow as she tended to the sick and performed other duties, but he spent the majority of the day in the woods with the wolves. He'd tried asking Wolf if he sensed anything dangerous following them, but each attempt ended with Wolf assuring him that they were perfectly safe. Not in those exact words, of course, but the message had been conveyed nevertheless.

When he wasn't shadowing Renn or playing with the wolves, he'd either hunt with a few of the Pine Marten boys his age or whittle away at the grouse bone whistle. The latter was more appealing to him, simply because the other boys had a bad habit of nagging him about Renn. They did not do it out of teasing so much as out of curiosity, but Torak found it hard to keep his temper nonetheless. When he failed to give a response to the question of whether or not they were mates, one of the boys had approached Renn with intentions Torak was not fond of at all. Sometimes he wished that she was not so pretty so that no one else would look at her.

Needless to say, he'd frightened off the boy, and Renn had been left in pure bewilderment.

The grouse bone whistle had been finished that night, too, as Torak had found himself too far from calm enough to lay down and try to sleep. His tiredness paid off the next morning, however, when he saw Renn's face as she received the gift. He'd even left a little hole in the end so that she could loop a thin strip of deer hide through, thus allowing the whistle to hang from her neck.

The next day passed in more or less the same fashion, save for the fact that Torak's new band of friends didn't bother him about Renn anymore. And this time, they went fishing rather than hunting. The nearest stream was a short walk from the Pine Marten camp, and it was full of salmon. As the Pine Martens told him, they only fished once in a while so that the salmon didn't die out. Torak was glad that he'd gotten the chance to catch a few, for he knew how happy Renn would be when he bestowed upon her a salmon cake.

His prediction had proven correct. She'd kissed him on the cheek as thanks, leaving him with a face that felt as if it were on fire.

Once the sun had dipped behind the horizon, Torak and Renn were ushered to the Pine Marten's "meeting place"––a section of the camp that had been cleared out so that large groups of people could fit comfortably. Harta stood before the large fire in the middle, a broad but sad smile adorning his face.

Torak asked him what was going on.

"You don't think we'd send you off without thanking you, do you?" he laughed. "You two have done so much for us. So tonight, we'll tend to you! Please, sit down!"

Exchanging glances, Torak and Renn sunk onto their bottoms. They shared a salmon-based meal with the Pine Martens and told each other stories of times long past. The moon had risen high in the sky by the time the crowd dispersed and everyone returned to their shelters.

And for the first time since Torak's nightmare, he slept peacefully.

* * *

Unfortunately, Torak and Renn slept far longer than they had wanted to, and no one had bothered to try and wake them up. It had to have been nearly midday when Torak first opened his eyes, and at the brightness of the sun, he jumped to his feet. "Renn, wake up! We have to get moving!" he said as he quickly gathered his things.

Being Renn, she was up and coherent in a flash. They cleaned up in a matter of minutes then set off to meet with Eko, who had promised to give them enough food to last them the next couple of days. She already had the food prepared when they arrived, and they thanked her accordingly. Adi was even feeling well enough to exit his shelter and bid them goodbye.

In fact, it seemed as if the whole clan wanted to wish them farewell, but Torak wanted to waste no more light than they already had. Originally, he'd wanted to reach the mountain before nightfall, but now that plan seemed impossible. Renn remarked that he had nothing to be afraid of as he dragged her towards the surrounding forest, muttering half-hearted goodbyes to whoever bid them farewell.

"I just don't want to take any chances," said Torak. Renn sighed.

They met with the wolves a little while later, courtesy of Renn's new whistle. Pebble seemed to be the most curious about it, for Wolf was already familiar with it, and Darkfur simply lacked interest. The cub lifted himself onto his hind legs in an attempt to reach Renn's chest where the whistle hung, but he was still not quite large enough to do so. Nevertheless, Renn nearly tripped over him in the process.

Each time Renn asked to stop and rest, Torak was forced to withhold a shout of frustration. Did she not realize the danger she was in? Even the embers had told her so, but she failed to believe the danger was directed towards _her_. If only she could fully understand his paranoia––then she'd be willing to move just a little bit faster.

All too soon, the shadows of the trees began to reach towards the east, stretching a little further as the evening dragged on. Still, Torak could not see the base of the mountain through the trees, and bubble of terror formed in the pit of his stomach. He was considering whether or not to stop and make camp or to continue on walking when suddenly the wolves snapped to attention. Their eyes were all trained on something that Torak could not see, and their ears were pressed forward as far as they could go.

Torak and Renn froze.

Wolf was the first to let out a small growl as he bared his teeth, taking a more defensive stance.

Torak drew his knife. Renn pulled out her bow.

"My tattoos..." she whispered. "They're prickling as they did before the last message in the embers came..."

His heart was pounding so loudly that Torak feared he wouldn't be able to hear whatever was coming. As he struggled to calm down, he saw the shadows of the tree shift. Wolf adjusted his stance, seemingly prepared to attack.

_Stay here! _Torak ordered. The last thing he wanted was for the wolves to take on an unknown enemy.

Pebble, the closest to Torak and Renn, looked behind him suddenly, and a heartbeat later Torak heard the rustling of feathers. Blood pounding in his ears, he stole a quick glance over his shoulder. It was only Rip and Rek. Yet even they seemed tense, and their keen raven eyes were trained on the same thing that the wolves were staring at.

Pebble turned back around.

The shadows shifted again. A man stepped out from behind a thick tree not far off. While his face was presently masked in the shadow of a branch, Torak could see his bare torso. The light that hit it seemed to illuminate the various tattoos stretched across his muscles.

Beside him, Torak heard Renn whisper something incoherent. As she raised her bow, the man lifted his arms in the gesture of meaning no harm. Cautiously, he took step after step in their direction. As he advanced towards them, Torak caught glimpses of his face, which only furthered to ascertain the fact that this was indeed the man he'd dreamt of.

The man stopped within fifteen paces of the pack, his arms still raised. The expression on his face was unreadable, but Wolf, Darkfur, and Pebble all whined and lowered their heads. The youngest stepped back, his tail between his legs.

Torak gripped his knife a little harder. "Who are you?" he called, breaking the tension that had arisen from the silence. "What do you want?"

A grin spread across the man's features, revealing a set of teeth stained with red. "I am no one of importance," said he. "Why don't you lower your weapons? I am certain we can talk this through reasonably."

_Bad, _whined Wolf. _Smells of Not-Breath._

He paused.

_Smells of Not-Breath,_ he repeated. _Not-Breath Taillesses._


End file.
